IRT - 2013 California Open Round of 16

Two major upsets in the in the Round of 16 at the Coast to Coast California Open in Reseda, California, as Alex Landa defeated the International Racquetball Tour's (IRT's) #4 player Jose Rojas, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8, and Daniel De La Rosa beat #5 Chris Crowther, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 7-11, 11-3.

Moreover, Landa and De La Rosa will play each other in the quarter finals with the winner advancing to the semi-finals, and that will be the first career semi-final for each player.

Earlier Marco Rojas surprised IRT #1, Kane Waselenchuk, by winning the first game of their match, 11-5. Indeed, Rojas stormed out to a 8-0 lead before Waselenchuk got on the board.

But in the end Waselenchuk showed why he's the #1 player by limiting Rojas to six points over the next three games, and winning the match 5-11, 11-3, 11-0, 11-4. Waselenchuk was playing his first competitive match in about two months as he missed the New Jersey Open last month, so perhaps he was just a little off at the beginning of the match. But Rojas played well, including hitting some drive serve aces to Waselenchuk's backhand.

IRT #2 Rocky Carson won his match with relative ease, as he defeated Jansen Allen in three straight games, 11-3, 11-8, 11-5. Carson will play Tony Carson - no relation - in the quarter finals later on Friday, as T. Carson defeated Anthony Herrera, 11-9, 8-11, 11-2, 11-5, in the 16s.

But #3 Alvaro Betlran had his hands full with fellow Mexican Polo Gutierrez, as Gutierrez took the first two games from Beltran 11-1, 11-4. But Beltran cranked up his drive serve and responded with two wins of his own 11-6, and 11-2 to force a tie-breaker.

In that tie-breaker, Beltran went out to a lead at 4-0. Gutierrez held firm there for a few rallies, and they exchanged points to make it 5-1, when Beltran broke through to take a 10-1 advantage. But Gutierrez didn't roll over and got a few points to make it 10-5. Beltran won it on the 6th match point by drive serving left, which Gutierrez returned to the right and Beltran laid out to hit a pinch that rolled out of the front right corner to make the final score 11-5.

The Round of 16 continues in Reseda, California, and the IRT Network is web-casting California Open matches throughout the tournament. The first quarter final match will be at 4 PM PST.

2013 California Open - Reseda, California

Round of 16

Kane Waselenchuk d. Marco Rojas, 5-11, 11-3, 11-0, 11-4
Javier Moreno d. Andy Hawthorne, 11-4, 9-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-9

Daniel De La Rosa d. Chris Crowther, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 7-11, 11-3
Alex Landa d. Jose Rojas, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8

Alvaro Beltran d. Polo Gutierrez, 4-11, 1-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-5
Ben Croft d. Brad Schopieray, 11-6, 11-5, 12-10

Tony Carson d. Anthony Herrera, 11-9, 8-11, 11-2, 11-5
Rocky Carson d. Jansen Allen, 11-3, 11-8, 11-5

Quarter-finals

Kane Waselenchuk v. Javier Moreno
Alex Landa v. Daniel De La Rosa

Alvaro Beltran v. Ben Croft
Rocky Carson v. Tony Carson

Follow the bouncing ball....